Scarecrow Army: The ANZACS at Gallipoli

by Leon Davidson

black dog books' award-winning history series The Drum uses first-person accounts and non-fiction to bring history roaring to life.

On 25 April 1915, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders landed at an unnamed cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula. They had come to fight the Turks. They thought the battle would be over in three days. Months later they were still in the trenches they'd dug at the landing. Anzac Cove became a graveyard where bodies lay above the ground and the living slept under it. They had gone looking for the adventure of a lifetime.

Purchase all 10 books in the Drum series value pack and receive a 25% discount
~~Normal price $169.90~~ Value pack price $127.43
Click here to buy the Drum series value pack

Winner
Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, 2006 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards

Winner
Non-Fiction Category, 2006 New Zealand Post Book Awards

Reviews

...a book for a young audience that corrects much of the starry-eyed jingoism but that will nevertheless leave its readers with pride and a warm glow on Anzac Day

— Australian Book Review

...tries to get beyond the dry facts and give a sense of how it was to be there, under fire, surrounded by corpses, rats and mud... an admirable starting point for young people wishing to peel back the veil of history

— Sydney Morning Herald

Scarecrow Army by Leon Davidson is one of the best books I have read about the Anzacs at Gallipoli... Davidson knows his subject well and writes the historical detail with great clarity.

— Otago Daily Times

The anti-war message is delivered subtly through the utter wastefulness of life Gallipoli represents... Davidson is rigorous in his questioning...

— Christopher Bantick, The Age

...the vivid description of the desperate battles and the endless struggle for individual survival... compel the reader to turn the page... this must-read book will not stay on the shelves for long

— Fiction Focus

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a mix of action, war and history

— Dena Barr, The Age Reader Reviews

...the story of the retreat alone is a fascinating account of miliary tactics... A terrific book

— The West Australian

What I like about Scarecrow Army is the insistent personal perspective that integrates fact and fiction... to create an accessible account of the Anzacs at Gallipoli. Kiwi-born Leon Davidson has worked cleverly here to tell more than the usual story... One of the ready-made perspectives in war makes the enemy into an automatic stranger – ‘The Turks’ in Davidson’s account, are people, they actually have names, and their stories are the same as ours... It’s this that distinguishes Scarecrow Army as an Anzac account different from most I’ve read. The anti-war message that Davidson articulates from a sound historical perspective is at once subtle and potent

— Teacher Education Magazine

Many books describe the Gallipoli campaign, but few cater to younger readers as effectively as Davidson’s detailed, 180-page history... the text contains numerous anecdotes that bring the story to life... A thoughtful, thought-provoking publication.

— Booknotes

The real life experiences of Gerald Sievers, a Kiwi country boy selected for the Vatican choir who found a different and poignant destiny in Turkey, will long be remembered by the reader... A great narrative... Highly recommended.

— Magpies

Leon Davidson’s Scarecrow Army is the best book on Gallipoli I have read. Its mix of fact and fiction brings the people and the battle alive... I challenge anyone to read this book without crying.

— Judith Tizzard, New Zealand Associate Minister of Culture and Planning

...accessible information in an appealing format

— The Age

A terrific book which will bring Anzac Day to life for readers

— The West Australian Education Magazine

...a great narrative told well. Highly recommended

— Magpies

...a useful and timely addition

— Viewpoint